Garment



May 24, 1927. 1,629,561

R.R.vvELLsTATTER GARMENT Filed septfe', 1923 3 sheets-sheet 1 iwf/M5555 E xNvENToR 1' n, f au .Wam/74775? May 24 1927' R, R, WELLSTATTER` GARMENT Filed sept. e, 1923 s Sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR HOJA f? 1442501775? )AM 1,629 561 May 24 1927 R. R. wELLs-rAT'rER GARMENT Filed Sept. 6. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ,l /f H05/4 H. WHL/57,4775? HIM/@MA ATTORNEY ii-iacutea May 24, 1927.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROSA. R.WELLSTATTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GARMENT.

Application led September 6, 1923. Serial No. 661,185.

This invention relates to convertible garments and in particular to a garment'which can be converted at will into either a skirt or knickers, so that a single garment may be worn which may be readily converted at the will ofthe wearer to suit various occasions. For example, the garment may be worn in the citj7 as a skirt and when on a hike in the country, as knickers.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provideoa garment of this character with portions to entirely surround the legs so that the wearer may not be embarrassed due to accidental opening of the garment securing means.

Another object of the invention is to form the garment so that it may be readily slipped on the person of the wearer.

Still another object of the invention is to form the garment so that it will appear neat and attractive either when used as a skirt or as knickers.

A still further' object of the invention is to provide secure fastening means for the leg portions of the garment when it is used as knickers. t

f Another and further object of the invenL tion is to provide means whereby the wearer may conveniently perform necessary body functions whether the garment be worn as a skirt or as knickers.

Other and further objects will be apparent after reading the following specification and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a front view of the garment when employed as a skirt;

Fig. 2 is a back -viw thereof;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the skirt with the skirt securing means unbuttoned, and a portion of the crotch member being loosened;

Fig. 4 is a .view similar to Figure 2 but with the garment partially separated tov disclose the crotch structure;

Fig. 5 is a view showing one stage of the garment as it is being converted into knickers, one of the leg portions being partially constricted;

Fig. 6 illustrates the leg portions showing another stage of the garment as it is being converted into knickers;

Fig. 7 illustrates the third and last stage of the garment as it is being `converted into knickers;

the appearance of one ofn Fig. 8 is a rear view of the garment when worn as knickers;

Fig. 9 isa front view of the skirt entirely opened up;

Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the parts in position to be buttoned;

Fig. 11 is a cross section through the cuff portion of the leg in the unfolded position thereof; and

Figs. 12 and 13 are detail views showing two l'of the different securing means for the leg portions of the garments.

Now referring to the figures more in detail, 1 indicatesa garment made up in general of two side pieces 2 and 3, two leg inserts 4 and 5, a back piece 6, and a crotch band 7. The outer and inner leg members 2 and 4 and 3 and 5 provide the skirt and leg forming portions of the garment. Along the upper edge of the side pieces 2 and 3 and the back piece 6 is a Waist band in the form of a belt 8, of any suitable material as for example an elastic webbing, said belt being provided with the usual fastening means, as for example the hook and eye 9. The crotch band 7 is secured at its upper end to the back piece and along one of its edges to the leg insert 5, as by stitching 10. The other edge of the crot-.ch band is provided with snap fasteners l1 to cooperate with the fasteners 12 on the hemmed portion 13 of the leg insert 4. The free end portion of the crotch band is also provided with a fastener 11 vto cooperate with a fastener 14 on a tab 15 secured to the Waist band of the garment. The crotch band or portion 7 is of greater Width intermediate its ends than at its ends. The free edge thereof extends from a point adjacent to the owaist portion or belt 8 at the front of the garment and terminates at a point adjacent to the waist portion 8 at the back of the garment, the registering free edges of the crotch portion 7 and the inner leg member 4 being substantially coeXtensive in length, and being detachably secured together substantially throughout their entire length.

The front portions of the side pieces and of the leg inserts are hemmed over, the side piece 2 and leg insert 4 forming at the hemmed-over portion the button-hole strip 16 having the button holes 17 to cooperate with buttons 18 on a similar hemmed over portion of the side piece 3 and leg insert 5. The back portions of the side pieces and leg inserts are hemmed over at 19, Figure 2, so as to form plaits, and when the garment 1s usedvas askirt, these plaits lie substantially' as shown in Figure 2 and, due to the leg inserts 4 and 5, the body or underwear of the wearer may not be exposed. It will be noted that by merely unbuttoning the buttons 18 the skirt may be converted into a split garment.

The lower ends of each pair of side pieces and leg inserts are the same and in order to simplify matters only one such pair will be described, as for example they side piece 2 and leg insert 4. ,These parts are hemmed over so as to provide the wide hem 20 which forms a cuff to encircle the knee of the wearer. This hemmed over cuff bears three garment leg securing devices. First of these is a pair of strings 21 threaded through the hem and passing through grommets in the inner side of the hem, these strings having the ends fastened in the seams formed by the side and leg portions of the garment and being adapted to draw together the leg insert 4. Also threaded through the hem is an elastic band 23 provided with suitable cooperating fastening, means as for example snap fasteners 24, this band when drawn up serving also to encompass the knee of the wearer and to cause the side piece 2 to encircle the leg. A third fastening means comprises a flap 25 in whole or in part of elastic material having a buttonhole 26 to cooperate with a button 27 secured on the l hem of the side piece 2 near the juncture with the leg insert 4 to draw the opposite edges of the side piece together so as to cause the garment to present a neat appearance when worn as knickers.

In order topprevent accidental openin of the seams, a strap 28 is rovided secure at each of its ends to the p aits 19.

In use of the garment as a skirt, the appearance of it is essentially as shown in Figure 1. The buttons 18 are butt-cned and the crotch member is also fastened, the snap fasteners 11 cooperating with the fasteners 12 as shown in Figure 3 and the top fastener 11 is snapped into the fastener 14 on the fiap 15. To convert the skirt into knickers, the buttons 18 are first unbuttoned, a few of the top buttons remaining fastened if so desired. This provides a split garment having a single waist portion and two complete leg portions. The leg portions are now raised and the ends of the strings 21 drawn together so as to ruffle the inserts 4 and 5 as shown in Figure 5. The strings are then tied together and may be concealed by forcing them under the cuff thus formed, or the strings may be passed around the legs of the wearer and tied together as shown in Figure 6. Next the end of the elastic 23 is drawn around the knee of the wearer and the two ends of the elastic are snapped together as shown in the same figure. Finally the flap, 25 is brought around in the direction of the arrow, Figure 6, and secured to the button 27. The garment now has the appearance shown in Figures 7 and 8 and forms complete knickers.

It will be noted that the garment may readily be converted from a skirt into knickers or vice-versa without exposing any part of the body. It will also be noted that it is only necessary to unbutton one set of buttons on the front of the skirt to convert the same into knickers, and that the fasteners provide a means on the crotch to enable the wearer to readily perform body functions when the garment is used as knickers. The plurality of fastening means provide a means for securely holding the cuff portion and also enable the knickers to have a full effect at the leg so as to be pleasing to the eye.

In the construction the crotch band or portion 7 includes forward and rearward upwardly extending portions forming prolongations of the wider intermediate portion thereof, and said outer and intermediate portions having a free longitudinal elge substantially coextcnsive in length therewith adapted for engagement throughout its length with the cooperating free edge of the contiguous inner leg member.

Having described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A combination garment comprising skirt and leg forming portions each including inner and outer leg members, a crotch portion extending from one of said inner leg members and having a free longitudinal edge substantially coextensive in lengt-h with said crotch portion and vadapted for engagement throughout its length with the cooperating free edge of the contiguous inner leg member, and means for detachably securing said cooperating free edges together substantially throughout their entire length, substantially as specified.

2. A combination garment comprising skirt and leg forming portions each including inner and outer leg members, a crotch portion of greater width intermediate lts ends :than at its ends extending from one of said inner leg members and having a freev .longitudinal edge substantially coextensive in length with said crotch portion and adapted for engagement with the cooperating free edge of the contiguous inner leg member, and means for detachably securing said cooperating free edges together, substantially as speCied.

3. A v combination garment comprising skirt and leg forming portions each including inner and outer legmembers, a relatively wide crotch portion extending from one of said inner leg members and having a free longitudinal edge substantially coextensive in length with said crotch portion and adapted for engagement throughout 'its length with the cooperating free edge of the contiguous inner leg member, and cooperating fastening means disposed along said free edges of said garment from the front to the rear thereof for detachably securing said free edges together substantially throughout their entire length, substantially as specified.

4. A combination garment comprising a Waist portion, skirt and leg forming portions each including inner and outer leg members, said inner leg members having free opposing edges extending lfrom a point adjacent to the waist portion at the front of the garment and terminating ata point adjacent to said waist portion at tlieback of the garment, and means for detae-hably securing said opposing edges together substantially throughout their entire length, substantially as specied.

5. A combination garment comprising a waist portion, skirt and leg forming portions each including inner and outer leg members, a crotch portion of greater width intermediate its'ends than at its ends eX- tending from one of said inner leg members and having a free edge registering with a cooperating free edge of a contiguous inner leg member; said free edges being substantially coeXtensive in length and extend- -out their entire length,

body portion and two ing vfrom a poiil'; adjacent to the waist portion at the front of the garment and terminating at a point adjacent to the waist portion at the back of the garment, an means for detachably securing said registering edges together substantially throughsubstantially as specified.

6. A convertible garment comprising a leg portions, a crotch band between the two leg portions,the leg portions being provided with securing means at the front of the garment and provided with plaits at the rear of the garment, a reinforcing strap securing the two plaits lllgether, and means for securing the lower ends of the leg portions to the lower limbs of the wearer when it is desired to conv `t the garment into knickers.

7 A convertible garment comprising skirt and leg forming portions` each includ-` ing inner and outer rleg members, a crotch band between said inner leg members; one edge of said crotch band being secured to one of said inner leg members and the other edge thereof being provided with fastening means adapted to cooperate with complementary fastening means on the other inner leg member, substantially as specified.

VIn testimony whereof I have hereuntoy signed my name.

I ROSA R. VTELLSTATTER. 

